Shane shifted uncomfortably in her seat as Carmen approached their
table. Remembering her thoughts at their interaction when they spent
the day together at Pride, Dana made a mental decision that, whatever
was happening, she and Alice would be there to help Shane and Carmen.
It was only fair, after all the hours they had put in on Yoda-duty.

“Hey guys!” Carmen greeted as she – surprise, surprise – took the empty
space beside Shane on the couch. Giving her a small smile and touching
her knee once in greeting, Carmen looked at Dana and asked with a
slightly concerned look on her face, “Um, Dana, is everything okay with
Alice? …I don’t mean to pry or anything… it’s just, you guys left
so suddenly last night, Shane and I were a bit worried…”

“It’s okay, Carmen…” Dana replied. For some reason, she didn’t mind
Carmen asking at all. Her words were so genuinely laced with concern,
there was no room to distrust her. That doesn’t mean Dana wasn’t still
embarrassed while recounting most of the previous night’s events with
them! “…So, we worked it out. I can’t believe how great she’s being
with all this! I don’t know where she finds the strength to do it…”
Dana said, shaking her head in disbelief, smiling and getting lost in
her thoughts of Alice.

Carmen waved at the girl at the coffee bar to bring her a coffee,
secretly trying to avoid eye contact with Dana or Shane. Dana may feel
oblivious to the source of Alice’s strength to love her so much, but
she wasn’t. No, Carmen was becoming all too familiar with the amount of
strength it took to love someone so unconditionally, so willing to wait
until they’re ready. She stole a quick glance at Shane, then got Dana’s
attention by answering her unasked question. I know where she gets it
from… it’s you, Dana. Both Shane and Dana raised their heads at the
same time, looking in half-puzzlement to Carmen to explain. She just
rolled her eyes in mock frustration and explained. Dana, she loves
you. So much, that it comes to a point that it no longer matters
whether you return her love, or say I love you back, or make grand
gestures of professing your love for her. She loves you so much and to
her all that matters is that, at the end of the day, she can love
you… from a distance or within an arm’s length, it doesn’t matter.
Carmen paused to breathe and drink her coffee when she realized that
the two girls were still looking at her, eerily silent. Fearing that
she may have said a little too much, she shrugged and played it off.
Call it speculation… or call it love-dar, but that girl’s got it for
you. And she’s got it bad. She said, playfully eyeing Dana, confident
by the look on the tennis player’s face that she got her point across.